Vancouver Viewpoints: Best Views of Vancouver, BC

Where to See the Best Views of Vancouver, BC

There are many places around and near Vancouver that boast the best Vancouver viewpoints: spots where you can see all of the city as well as the gorgeous scenery that surrounds Vancouver. These viewpoints are perfect spots to enjoy a glass of wine, hold hands with your partner, show off Vancouver to visiting friends and family, or just take in the majesty of Vancouver's skyline and geography.

The Lookout at the Harbour Centre - Downtown Vancouver

••• Joe Mabel/Wikimedia Commons

There are two Vancouver viewpoints in downtown Vancouver that give visitors 360° views of the city: The Lookout at the Harbour Centre and Cloud 9, the revolving restaurant atop the Empire Landmark Hotel (see below).

Located at the Harbour Centre, The Lookout is a 553.16 ft-high (168.60 m) panoramic observation deck. Visitors can take a guided tour, or just walk around The Lookout on their own. If you get hungry on your trip, you can head down a level to the Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant (also in the Harbour Centre) for lunch or dinner. (Personally, I prefer Cloud 9 in the Vancouver revolving restaurants competition.)

One of best Vancouver viewpoints and one of the Top 5 Vancouver Restaurants with a View, Cloud 9 is a personal favourite of mine; it's where I take visitors to show off Vancouver's urban beauty. It beats Top of Vancouver (at the Harbour Centre, see above) as the best Vancouver revolving restaurant by being hipper, sleeker, and more fun--it has a fabulous piano-bar vibe that makes it a great nightspot. Plus you can enjoy drinks and dessert only (rather than a whole meal) at a window-side table.

Cloud 9 is on the 42nd floor of the Empire Landmark Hotel; it's within walking distance of Robson Street Shopping.

English Bay Beach - Downtown Vancouver

••• Michael Wheatley / Getty Images

One of Vancouver's Top 5 Beaches, English Bay Beach is another personal favourite for Vancouver viewpoints. It's hard to beat the joy of sitting on the beach or a nearby park bench and taking in the extreme beauty of Vancouver's southwestern coastline. On clear days, the views from English Bay Beach extend past English Bay to Kits Beach, the mountains of West Vancouver, and beyond.

English Bay Beach is located at the junction of Beach Avenue and Denman Street in the West End, just east of Stanley Park.

Queen Elizabeth Park - Vancouver

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The top of Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the best Vancouver viewpoints; it's also the highest point in the city of Vancouver.

Queen Elizabeth Park is ideal for sunny days--when you can combine the view with a trip through the Park's Quarry Gardens. Enjoy free views of the city at the Park's top plaza (next to the Bloedel Conservatory and dancing fountains) or at Seasons in the Park Restaurant (pictured), another Top 5 Vancouver Restaurants with a View.

Granville Island - Vancouver

••• Manuel Sulzer / Getty Images

No other Vancouver viewpoints offer the immediacy of Granville Island: on Granville Island, the views of downtown Vancouver are right there. Located just south of Downtown, it's one of the best spots to see the shiny, shiny buildings of the downtown core.

Grouse Mountain - North Vancouver

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One of the Top 10 Vancouver Attractions, Grouse Mountain is a year-round resort that offers skiing and snowboarding in winter, hiking in spring and summer, and entertainment, outdoor activities and unparalleled views in every season.

Grouse Mountain is located in North Vancouver, about 15 minutes (by car) north of downtown Vancouver. Its most popular viewpoints include the Eye of the Wind wind turbine, Grouse Mountain Skyride, Peak Chairlift Ride, The Observatory Restaurant and Altitudes Bistro.